NEWS & Events

Keeping our clients informed is important to us. For the latest news from CSI, please check out the articles below.

Welcome to the 1st edition of CSI news & updates!

December 01, 2020

Counting our blessings in 2020


As you all know, 2020 has presented some changing and challenging times for all. A pandemic was not something we could have predicted, yet we continue to look towards what is positive - we have safe and healthy employees, clients and families. We have learned to connect and communicate in new ways, and found spending more time with family is priceless. We count our blessings and strive to continue to keep all safe.

TP Wraps up 50 Years Serving the Forest Products Industry

January 01, 2020

Timber Products Inspection, Inc. - Delivering Confidence for 50 Years

In 2019, Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) celebrates 50 years serving the forest products industry.   Over the years, TP has grown to service clientele in 16 countries, and oversee quality audits involving over 20 different wood products including lumber, pressure treated wood, glulam, OSB, panels, pallets, MDF, CLT, building logs, utility poles, trusses and wood pellets. TP holds inspection and laboratory accreditations from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the International Accreditation Service (IAS) and the American Lumber Standards Company (ALSC), among others. 

TP was founded by Howard Powell in 1969.  His vision for creating an inspection company based on professional client service quickly grew into a national company.  In 1994 Mr. Powell sold the company to three of his employees, one of which eventually sold his shares to the current two owners – Jim Respess and Ronnie Williams.

Under the direction of the new ownership group, TP quickly expanded beyond its core business of lumber grading, into many other facets of the forest products industry.

In 1990, TP was approached by the National Wood Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) looking for a third-party inspection agency to monitor the Specialized Pallets Engineered for Quality (SPEQ) program.   This opened the door for TP to explore the opportunity for pallet inspections.    This service continued to develop in 2001, as the European Union began to required export wood packaging to be heat treated to eliminate invasive insects. In 2000, TP purchased Florida Lumber Inspection Service, bolstering its presence in the pressure treated wood market. In 2004, TP Engineering was created, offering traditional structural and civil engineering services as well as acting in a support function for TP and their clients.

 As the forest products industry continued to evolve, wood pellet fuel became recognized as a viable renewable fuel source.  This prompted TP to once again expand to meet the testing needs of the biomass industry. In 2011 TP entered into a joint venture with Control Union, USA to form Biomass Energy Lab (BEL).  BEL was formed to meet the needs of the wood pellet export market by providing testing and certification services.

Later in 2011, TP agreed to acquire the approximately 300 wood packaging accounts of the National Hardwood Lumber Association.

Expanding their global reach, TP acquired Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency Inc. (CSI) in Langley, British Columbia Canada in 2016.   This allowed TP to branch their professional inspection services into Canada.

In 2017, Timber Products Technical Services (TPTS) was formed with the sole purpose of offering greater value-added training services for TP clientele. 

TP continued to grow and in early 2019 acquired Stafford Consulting and Inspection Services, LLC.  This acquisition of approximately 300 clients directly added growth to our HT, WPM and truss divisions.

Today, TP employs over 120 full time employs including field staff, lab staff and administrative staff.  Each employee is excited about TP‘s future in the wood products‘ industry. As a responsible partner, TP looks forward to delivering to clients, employees, and the industries we serve the confidence to drive value through the effective use of our diverse professional team.  Looking back over the 50-year history of the company, Ronnie Williams noted that “none of this would have been possible without our cherished industry partnerships, dedicated inspectors, administrative staff, and program managers”.

    Best Practices for Ensuring ISPM-15 Compliance of Export Packaging

    March 13, 2018

    International shipping of palletized cargo generally requires compliance with plant health guidelines designed to limit the spread of pests around the globe.  And if you follow these guidelines (ISPM-15), you can ensure that any wood pallets, crates or dunnage that you manfacture or use are compliant.

    To read the complete article, click here.

      TP & CSI Merger

      May 03, 2016

      Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) and the Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency, Inc. (CSI), dba Macdonald Inspection Services (MI), are pleased to announce that effective May 3, 2016, the two companies have merged.  This merger joins two companies with high level auditing and testing resources with the intention of providing innovative and professional services to clients in both the U.S. and Canada. 

       

      TP and CSI hold similar business philosophies which include a high level of customer service, visible product recognition, leading edge auditing & testing services, and overall commitment to quality.  David Reekie, President of CSI, and his staff will continue working with CSI‘s subscribers, and the merger will provide additional depth in products and services for growth into the Canadian market. 

       

      Jay Moore, President of TP, adds “As consolidation and technology continue to shape the wood products industry, the need for consistent and focused inspection, testing, data collection and data reporting becomes even more important.  With this merger, we can offer our subscribers additional depth in resources and innovation to service their needs.”  Moore states, “David Reekie has built CSI and Macdonald Inspection Services to be leaders in several facets of wood products inspection including lumber, utility pole & cross-arm, commercially treated products, and wood packaging.  These service areas align seamlessly with TP‘s core businesses and together offer unified value to both American and Canadian clients with unrestricted access.”

       

      David Reekie says, “I have a great deal of respect for Ronnie Williams, Jay Moore, and the team they have assembled at TP. This merger will provide CSI with the support and resources necessary to expand the exceptional services we already provide to the wood products industry in Canada.”  Reekie goes on to say, “Although we have had an amicably competitive relationship with TP over the past 20 plus years, we have always worked side-by-side to provide a consistent, fair, and reasonable approach to the delivery of service to our wood pole and preservative treatment clients. This merger will expand that relationship to include our current and future sawmill, secondary manufacturing, heat treatment, wood packaging, and wholesale clients”. Reekie adds, “Macdonald Inspection Services will be celebrating its 50th anniversary later this year and this merger will ensure that the name and internationally recognized trademark will remain for another 50 years.”